The Mononoke film project will consist of three films. The second film, Gekijōban Mononoke Second Chapter: Hinezumi (also known as “Kaso” or “fire rat”), is set to premiere in Japan on March 14, 2025. Tickets for the second film will go on sale in Japan starting August 2, and the ticket design has been released by the film’s staff.
Gekijōban Mononoke: Karakasa has won the Axis: Satoshi Kon Award for Excellence in Animation for best animated feature film at the 28th annual Fantasia International Film Festival, which is currently taking place in Montreal from July 18 to August 4. The Axis: Satoshi Kon Award for Excellence in Animation honors outstanding achievement in animated feature films. This year’s jury includes jury president Johane Matte, Jonathan Alvarez, and Elizabeth E. Schuch. Notably, last year’s winner of the award was The First Slam Dunk anime film.
The anime film Gekijōban Mononoke: Karakasa, which premiered in Japan on Friday, has hinted at a sequel with a post-credits message that reads “To be continued in second chapter Hinezumi.” Voice actor Hiroshi Kamiya, who plays the Medicine Seller in the film, confirmed during a stage greeting event on Saturday that he will be recording for the second chapter, titled “Hinezumi,” on Sunday.
The film was initially scheduled to release last year but was delayed. In February 2023, the staff announced the delay and also revealed that Takahiro Sakurai would no longer be reprising his role as the Medicine Seller. Instead, Hiroshi Kamiya took on the role of the protagonist.
The film is directed by Kenji Nakamura, who also directed the original Mononoke anime series in 2007. The series is a spinoff of Ayakashi – Samurai Horror Tales and consists of five arcs, with the last one titled “Bakeneko.” The film’s staff includes Kitsuneko Nagata as the character designer, Yūichi Takahashi as the chief animation director, and Taku Iwasaki as the music composer. The animation was produced by EOTA.
The theme song for the film is “Love Sick” by singer Aina The End. The Mononoke anime series is currently available to stream on services such as The Roku Channel and Netflix, and was previously released on DVD in North America by New Video Group in 2014.